This invention involves a spontaneous color sport of the popular Japanese apple variety "Tsugaru", a fall ripening variety of apple which is normally characterized by having skin coloration with red stripes over a yellow-green ground color at maturity. The new and distinct apple variety is earlier coloring and a more solid red color at maturity. It is anticipated that this color sport will be more attractive to most segments of the consuming public from the standpoint of eye appeal, as compared to its parent "Tsugaru". The new variety has been named "Beni Tsugaru". The genus and species of the new variety is Malus pumila Mill.
The new variety of apple tree has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by placing buds of "Beni Tsugaru" on mature trees of other varieties. Such asexual reproductions have run true to the original discovery in every distinguishing respect by producing the earlier coloring and more highly colored fruit described herein, to establish that the variety is stable.